Ralph Reed & Straw men

Now we're into debate . . . when people say "straw man" and "begs the question" we're debating! Wahoo!

Reed is articulate to point out that conservative Republicans agree that gay marriage and abortion are not the only moral issues, that Republicans have championed other moral issues such as home ownership for those in poverty. This is needed justice for the poor, but Reed "begs the question" by naming one current example of a Republican moral issue (other than prayer in schools, gay marriage, abortion) then moving on to talk history and philosophical and media issues.

That the Right has so focused on 2-3 issues to the neglect of others, is pointed out by several who comment and by Wallis in his lastest post. Reed, like many political activitists, doesn't acknowledge that some Republicans have co-opted a few "moral issues" for political gain. I'm not saying this doesn't happen on the Democratic side. It in fact does. And yes, I don't get why Democrats can't bring themselves to acknowledge and address the 92 percent of the country that believes in God and talk about faith more.

Read the dialogue between the Reed and Wallis. I found it useful and interesting.

Followers of Christ, are you willing to acknowledge that our allegiance is not to party, and it's not even to country when either party or country advances agendas, policies, or philosophies that run counter to the moral teaching of Christ?

*Note: Lots of bloggers or commenters misuse phrases like "begs the question," thinking it means something like, "it really leads me to this vital question" when it's a rhetorical term meaning when someone takes as a premise something that's supposed to be proved then concluded by that evidence. See grammar note.